{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]],"date-time":"2026-04-24T05:59:27Z","timestamp":1777010367718,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,21]],"date-time":"2021-06-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1624233600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Although the efficacy of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is proven, the need to improve patients\u2019 adherence has emerged. There are only a few studies that have investigated the effect of sending text messages after a CR period to stimulate subjects\u2019 ongoing engagement in regular physical activity (PA). A randomized controlled pilot trial was conducted after CR, sending a daily PA text message reminder to an intervention group (IG), which was compared with a usual care control group (CG) during three months of follow-up. Thirty-two subjects were assessed pre- and post-study intervention with GPAQ, submaximal iso-watt exercise testing, a 30 s sit-to-stand test, a bilateral arm curl test, and a final survey on a seven-point Likert scale. A statistically significant difference in the increase of moderate PA time (\u0394 244.7 (95% CI 189.1, 300.4) minutes, p &lt; 0.001) and in the reduction of sedentary behavior time (\u0394 \u221277.5 (95% CI 104.9, \u221250.1) minutes, p = 0.004) was shown when the IG was compared with the CG. This was associated with an improvement in heart rate, blood pressure, and patients\u2019 Borg rating on the category ratio scale 10 (CR10) in iso-watt exercise testing (all p &lt; 0.05). Furthermore, only the IG did not show a worsening of the strength parameters in the follow-up leading to a change of the 30 s sit-to-stand test with a difference of +2.2 (95% CI 1.23, 3.17) repetitions compared to CG (p = 0.03). The telemedical intervention has been appreciated by the IG, whose willingness to continue with regular PA emerged to be superior compared to the CG. Text messages are an effective and inexpensive adjuvant after phase 2 CR that improves adherence to regular PA. Further studies are needed to confirm these results in a larger patient population and in the long term.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18126645","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,21]],"date-time":"2021-06-21T04:21:21Z","timestamp":1624249281000},"page":"6645","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":20,"title":["Effectiveness of Text Messaging as an Incentive to Maintain Physical Activity after Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8170-4741","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giulia","family":"Foccardi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Exercise Medicine Division, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"},{"name":"Clinical Network of Sports and Exercise Medicine of the Veneto Region, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2395-4977","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marco","family":"Vecchiato","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Exercise Medicine Division, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"},{"name":"Clinical Network of Sports and Exercise Medicine of the Veneto Region, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Daniel","family":"Neunhaeuserer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Exercise Medicine Division, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"},{"name":"Clinical Network of Sports and Exercise Medicine of the Veneto Region, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Michele","family":"Mezzaro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Exercise Medicine Division, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5653-275X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giulia","family":"Quinto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Exercise Medicine Division, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"},{"name":"Clinical Network of Sports and Exercise Medicine of the Veneto Region, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"Battista","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Exercise Medicine Division, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"},{"name":"Clinical Network of Sports and Exercise Medicine of the Veneto Region, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9033-1887","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Federica","family":"Duregon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Exercise Medicine Division, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Roberto","family":"Carlon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UOA Cardiology, Rehabilitation Cardiology, ASSL 6 \u201cEuganea\u201d, Cittadella Hospital, 35013 Cittadella, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0546-1514","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrea","family":"Ermolao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Exercise Medicine Division, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"},{"name":"Clinical Network of Sports and Exercise Medicine of the Veneto Region, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jacc.2017.04.052","article-title":"Global, Regional, and National Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases for 10 Causes, 1990 to 2015","volume":"70","author":"Roth","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. 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